Nutrition 101 - Avoid processed foods, preservatives, and additives

Have you ever noticed the lengthy list of ingredients on packaged foods? You may not even recognize many of these ingredients or know how to pronounce them. One of my nutrition class assignments was to compare several foods relative to their processing and how the preparation of each distinguished one from the other in terms of nutritional analysis, health benefits and disadvantages, and overall taste experience. I compared and contrasted three homemade recipes using whole foods with corresponding packaged versions of the same foods.

What I found was that the overall quality of ingredients used in the processed foods was not very good. They were non-organic, very starchy, and included additives, preservatives, and colorings. On the other hand, the whole foods recipes had quality ingredients, rich in nutrients, enzymes, and amino acids, and did not include preservatives, additives, and flavorings. Further, because the ingredients used in the homemade recipes were organic, they contained no hidden pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides.1

One of the recipes I chose to compare was a vegetable soup that I often make which contains about 12 organic ingredients. The processed version of the vegetable soup contained considerably more ingredients, primarily consisting of starchy vegetables, as well as additives and preservatives such as high fructose corn syrup, modifed food starch, monosodium glutamate, yeast extract, flavoring, vitamins, and a high amount of sodium.2 I found similar results in the other two foods that I compared.

Careful shoppers may be able to find some processed foods that are relatively nutritious and contain few additives and preservatives. However, many packaged and processed foods are often lower in nutrition than their whole foods counterparts and may contain some harmful ingredients. Reading food labels may be our best defense against some questionable ingredients. According the Louise Light, author of What to Eat, we should especially be on the lookout for the following additives:

- Some food colorings have been associated with allergies, hyperactivity, and asthma.

- Nitrates, which are found in packaged lunch meats, hot dogs, and bacon, become carcinogenic when consumed.

- Sulfur dioxide may be associated with asthma and allergies.

- Monosodium glutamate (MSG) may significantly increase the amount of insulin the pancreas produces.

- Other factors such as synthetic flavors, food waxes, plastic packaging, and genetically modified foods have been associated with various health problems.3

Processed foods are not comparable to homemade whole foods in terms of nutrition and health benefits. Whole foods are lower in calories and fat, higher in fiber, lower in sodium, and sugar, and do not contain starches, preservatives, additives, or pesticides.

1 Haas, E.M., & Levin, B. (2006). Staying healthy with nutrition: The complete guide to diet and nutritional medicine. Berkeley: Celestial Arts.
2 Campbell Soup Co. Vegetarian Vegetable Soup.
3 Light, L. (2006). What to eat: The ten things you really need to know to eat well and be healthy! New York: McGraw-Hill.